EDIM 513 Week 5 Update

Since my last blog post, I have come to a few new conclusions about inquiry-based learning. The first thing that has changed for me is realizing that inquiry-based learning does not necessarily mean that students need to run an experiment in order for learning to be considered inquiry-based. This was a key realization for me as a math teacher. Oftentimes when I heard inquiry-based learning I thought that it could only be applied to the traditional “science experiments” in a classroom. Inquiry-based learning can be achieved through the use of investigatable questions and simulations. A great math example of this is how changing a ratio affects the final outcome of an event. This does not need an elaborate experiment set up, but still forces students to use the facts they learn about ratios and apply them to a more complex question. 

 This realization also helped to answer one of the main questions from my last two blog posts, “How can inquiry-based learning be used in an online setting?” It turns out inquiry-based learning can be used online easily. Students can use computer simulations to replace in-person experiments. Videos can also be posted of experiments being performed. While this would not be the best form of inquiry-based learning, due to students not doing the experiments themselves, it is better than having students answer a series of lower thinking questions. 

The only major question I still have about inquiry-based learning is how can it be included in a rigidly structured curriculum that does not allow lessons to deviate from the prescribed order and methods.

-Kyle 

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